BAFTA and the Ica continue their unique series of master classes throughout March, led by award winning practitioners from the worlds of Film, Television and Video Games. A new series of events will also be introduced this month, entitled “Behind the Mask”, which will screen films selected and introduced by BAFTA members with discussions revealing the different crafts behind their creation.
The BAFTA/Ica master classes focus on Video Games in March, starting on 9 March when BAFTA welcomes David Hego to the Ica. David is Art Director of Rocksteady Studios, the London based games developer which won two BAFTAs including 'Best Game' for Batman: Arkham Asylum. David will explain how the team created the dark and gothic mood of the game, covering the theory and practice of the visual narration, lighting, colour schemes and the ‘hyper realistic’ look of the iconic comic book characters.
On 16 March, the series continues with...
The BAFTA/Ica master classes focus on Video Games in March, starting on 9 March when BAFTA welcomes David Hego to the Ica. David is Art Director of Rocksteady Studios, the London based games developer which won two BAFTAs including 'Best Game' for Batman: Arkham Asylum. David will explain how the team created the dark and gothic mood of the game, covering the theory and practice of the visual narration, lighting, colour schemes and the ‘hyper realistic’ look of the iconic comic book characters.
On 16 March, the series continues with...
- 3/5/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
Val Kilmer puts on many disguises in "The Saint", but they mask neither his own wooden performance nor the leaden dynamic of this Paramount release. Look for "The Saint" to open with some measure of beneficent offering, but then, based on negative word-of-mouth, to do a prolonged term in boxoffice purgatory.
In this topical but dull scenario, Kilmer stars as the epicurean master thief Simon Templar whose voracious appetite for big-time bucks as a savvy international thief knows no bounds. Simon's approaching the $50 million goal he has set for himself, and not overly burdened with ethics, he looks quickly forward to exiting his occupation with wads of Swiss-bank cash.
Cynical and self-absorbed, Simon doesn't expect to get waylaid in any kind of modern scam. As such, he's sucked into the life of an idealistic scientist, Emma (Elisabeth Shue), whose life is in danger owing to the thuggery of post-glasnost Russia.
In a story line sagely put together from contemporary headlines, screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh and Wesley Strick have patched a tall but believable tale about crime in modern-day Red Square, and, not surprisingly, they've fitted it around a megalomaniac leader (Rade Serbedzija) who is obsessed with not only ruling the former Soviet republics but ruling the world. Unfortunately, this bright notion is dashed by desultory writing: Unintentionally funny dialogue, preposterous plotting and weak backdrop mar the promising complications.
Further dulling the dynamic is director Phillip Noyce's woefully slow pacing, with perfunctory exposition scenes clotting the caper. There is little spark nor polished sheen in this dull filmic facsimile, and soon the story itself dulls completely.
In essence, Kilmer does a male Julia Roberts here, trying on a lot of hats, etc. For his lead performance, one must acknowledge that Kilmer does possess many thick accents, as if having eaten a lot of gravy on Interstate 80, yet he never invigorates his performance with any personality. In all, his performance resonates with all the aplomb of an Indianapolis dentist who is doing some moonlighting as a thespian.
Shue scurries to make sense of her role of heart-stricken scientist and, to her credit, wins our affections. Perhaps best among the players is Serbedzija, whose stirringly scary performance as the vainglorious Russian billionaire sobers us to the realization that things are very out of control in that region.
Technical contributions are inconsistent: The film's feeble story line and plot rendering is constantly overwhelmed by Graeme Revell's overzealous score. In addition, the dark scopings of cinematographer Phil Meheux add little in the way of thematic counterpoint to this murky, sin-filled "Saint".
THE SAINT
Paramount Pictures
in association with Rysher Entertainment
A David Brown and Robert Evans production
Producers David Brown, Robert Evans,
William J. MacDonald
Director Phillip Noyce
Screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh, Wesley Strick
Story Jonathan Hensleigh
Director of photography Phil Meheux
Production designer Joseph Nemec III
Editor Terry Rawlings
Executive producers Paul Hitchcock,
Robert S. Baker
Associate producer Lis Kern
Music Graeme Revell
Costume designer Marlene Stewart
Casting Patsy Pollock, Elisabeth Leustig
Sound mixer Ivan Sharrock
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Simon Templar Val Kilmer
Dr. Emma Russell Elisabeth Shue
Ivan Tretiak Rade Serbedzija
Ilya Tretiak Valery Nikolaev
Dr. Lev Botvin Henry Goodman
Chief Inspector Teal Alun Armstrong
Tretiak's aide Michael Byrne
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
In this topical but dull scenario, Kilmer stars as the epicurean master thief Simon Templar whose voracious appetite for big-time bucks as a savvy international thief knows no bounds. Simon's approaching the $50 million goal he has set for himself, and not overly burdened with ethics, he looks quickly forward to exiting his occupation with wads of Swiss-bank cash.
Cynical and self-absorbed, Simon doesn't expect to get waylaid in any kind of modern scam. As such, he's sucked into the life of an idealistic scientist, Emma (Elisabeth Shue), whose life is in danger owing to the thuggery of post-glasnost Russia.
In a story line sagely put together from contemporary headlines, screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh and Wesley Strick have patched a tall but believable tale about crime in modern-day Red Square, and, not surprisingly, they've fitted it around a megalomaniac leader (Rade Serbedzija) who is obsessed with not only ruling the former Soviet republics but ruling the world. Unfortunately, this bright notion is dashed by desultory writing: Unintentionally funny dialogue, preposterous plotting and weak backdrop mar the promising complications.
Further dulling the dynamic is director Phillip Noyce's woefully slow pacing, with perfunctory exposition scenes clotting the caper. There is little spark nor polished sheen in this dull filmic facsimile, and soon the story itself dulls completely.
In essence, Kilmer does a male Julia Roberts here, trying on a lot of hats, etc. For his lead performance, one must acknowledge that Kilmer does possess many thick accents, as if having eaten a lot of gravy on Interstate 80, yet he never invigorates his performance with any personality. In all, his performance resonates with all the aplomb of an Indianapolis dentist who is doing some moonlighting as a thespian.
Shue scurries to make sense of her role of heart-stricken scientist and, to her credit, wins our affections. Perhaps best among the players is Serbedzija, whose stirringly scary performance as the vainglorious Russian billionaire sobers us to the realization that things are very out of control in that region.
Technical contributions are inconsistent: The film's feeble story line and plot rendering is constantly overwhelmed by Graeme Revell's overzealous score. In addition, the dark scopings of cinematographer Phil Meheux add little in the way of thematic counterpoint to this murky, sin-filled "Saint".
THE SAINT
Paramount Pictures
in association with Rysher Entertainment
A David Brown and Robert Evans production
Producers David Brown, Robert Evans,
William J. MacDonald
Director Phillip Noyce
Screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh, Wesley Strick
Story Jonathan Hensleigh
Director of photography Phil Meheux
Production designer Joseph Nemec III
Editor Terry Rawlings
Executive producers Paul Hitchcock,
Robert S. Baker
Associate producer Lis Kern
Music Graeme Revell
Costume designer Marlene Stewart
Casting Patsy Pollock, Elisabeth Leustig
Sound mixer Ivan Sharrock
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Simon Templar Val Kilmer
Dr. Emma Russell Elisabeth Shue
Ivan Tretiak Rade Serbedzija
Ilya Tretiak Valery Nikolaev
Dr. Lev Botvin Henry Goodman
Chief Inspector Teal Alun Armstrong
Tretiak's aide Michael Byrne
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 3/31/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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